Compact discs, audio and video tapes are usually put up for sale in a plastic case or the like, which carries information about the disc or tape as well as carrying sales promotional material or artwork to attract a purchaser. The case is often displayed at the point of sale in an open access rack or other display so that a would-be purchaser can browse through the display and select the discs or tapes he wishes to purchase. However, in order to reduce the risk of theft from such an open access display, the actual disc or tape is not held within the displayed case, but is stored separately. Therefore, when the disc or tape is purchased, the sales person has to identify the disc or tape from the empty case, to locate the disc or tape in the store and to marry the disc or tape up with the empty case. This is time consuming and may also require that the sales person leaves the sales counter un-manned whilst locating the disc or tape in the store.
In order to reduce these problems, it has been proposed to fit the case into a display container fitted with a lock mechanism which secures the case for the disc or tape within the container so that a thief cannot readily gain access to the disc or tape without breaking the container or removing the container from the shop. The container can be fitted with alarm means so that it cannot be removed from the display or shop without actuating an audible or visual alarm. Typically, the container is locked by means of a spring loaded pin which engages a recess or the like in a wall of the case. The pin is retracted by applying a strong magnet to the pin mounting, for example at the sales counter, so as to release the case from the container. However, such mechanisms are either bulky and obtrusive, or can be accessed externally so that the security of the container is compromised. Furthermore, the pin must register with a recess in the wall of the case and this limits the range of cases which can be used within a given container, notably where the design of the case is altered by the manufacturer. The pin must also be retracted when the case is loaded into the display container, which again is time consuming.
In my PCT Application No GB 92/00633, I have described and claimed a novel form of security container which reduces the above problems and which is adapted to contain one or more articles, which container has access means whereby the article(s) can be inserted into or removed from the container, the container being provided with a detent mechanism adapted to retain the article within the container, which detent mechanism comprises:
a. a sole plate member located adjacent the interior of one wall of the container and adapted to move axially substantially parallel to the plane of that wall and to bear against a face of the article which is to be inserted into or removed from the container through said access means; PA1 b. a biassed member adapted to move between an operative position at which the member engages the sole plate member so as to retain it against axial movement, and an inoperative position at which the biassed member permits axial movement of the sole plate member; and PA1 c. a stop member, preferably carried by said sole plate member, adapted to engage said article and to retain said article within the container when said biassed member engages the sole plate member in its operative position. PA1 a. a mounting member adapted to be carried externally of the container and, preferably, adjacent the access aperture of the container; PA1 b. a latch member adapted to be carried externally of the container by the mounting member and adapted to move between a retracted position at which at least the distal end thereof is adapted retain an article within the container, preferably by engaging the article, and an extended position at which the latch member permits removal of the article through the access aperture by being located out of the line of travel of an article as the article is withdrawn from the container; and PA1 c. a locking member adapted to move from an operative position at which it retains the latch member in its retracted position and an inoperative position at which it permits extension of the latch member. PA1 a. a plate member adapted to be located externally upon the container and adjacent the access aperture to the container so as to form part of, or to be mounted parallel to, a wall of the container; PA1 b. a housing member carried by said plate member externally of the container; PA1 c. a latch member carried by said housing and adapted to move axially externally of and substantially parallel to the plane of the said wall of the container between axially retracted and extended positions, said latch member having a recess intermediate the ends thereof and at at least the distal end thereof a stop member adapted to engage an article located within the container when the latch member is in its axially retracted position within the housing, the latch member being configured so that when the latch member is in its axially extended position the stop member is carried clear of the line of travel of the article as the article is withdrawn from the container; and PA1 d. a biassed locking member adapted to move from an operative position at which it engages the said recess so as to retain the latch member in its axially retracted position and an inoperative position at which it permits axial extension of the latch member. PA1 a. a latch member mounted on the exterior surface of one of the walls of the container in the vicinity of the access aperture, said latch member being capable of adopting a position to inhibit the removable of the article through the access aperture or a position to permit the removal of the article through the access aperture; PA1 b. guide means for guiding the latch member for sliding and pivotable movement in relation to the said exterior wall of the container to move from one position to the other; and PA1 c. a spring loaded locking member which is moveable between a locking position whereby movement of the latch member is restrained and a release position whereby movement of the latch member is permitted. Preferably, the guide means also provide the mounting means by which the latch member is mounted on the container.
Preferably there is a second stop member carried by the sole plate member which is adapted to engage said article as it is inserted into the container, whereby the sole plate member is moved axially by said article as it is inserted into the container so that the first stop member prevents removal of the article from the container when the sole plate is carried by the article to the position at which the sole plate member is engaged by the biassed member.
I have now devised a simplified form of the detent mechanism which can be made in a modular form so as to fit a number of different forms of existing container without the need to modify those containers. The simplified form of detent mechanism can be applied to the container during manufacture thereof, or can be applied as a retro-fit component with little or no modification to existing containers.